Saturday’s Christian Cross Festival may very well have been the busiest in the event’s 18-year history.
Featuring performances from nationally known Christian musical acts, the event opened with performances from Adelaide, Love & The Outcome, Cain and I Am They.
A 40-minute message from minister David Nasser followed, who spoke of his escape from persecution in Iran as a child, his conversion from Islam to Christianity as a young adult, and the word of Christ.
A short speech by the festival’s master of ceremonies, Dallas McKellips, touched on the religious purpose embodied by the festival and its relevance to the present, conveying a message of unity through the Christian faith.
“We’re in a battle for the truth…people don’t know who they are anymore,” McKellips said. “We must live our lives and realize that our lives are a testimony of who God is and how much he loves everyone around us. It doesn’t matter what color your skin is, it doesn’t matter how much money you have in the bank. It doesn’t matter that you come from Iran because you had to flee persecution; none of that matters. What matters is that you’re alive.
Next is the headliner of the event, folk-soul-pop musician Jordan Feliz. Dressed in all white with a matching pristine white hat, Feliz stole the show with an electric performance that combined dancing, singing and periodically hyping the crowd as the loudspeakers boomed booming at the Skyview Lake venue.
Thousands of festival-goers raised their hands skyward, some brandishing phone flashlights to reflect the dazzling white light shining from the stage.
One of the festival-goers, Mike, has been a frequenter of the festival since its rise to prominence in the early 2000s. Although he has grown accustomed to the level of quality of the festival’s musical performances, he was surprised by the sheer number of people present. this year, which he attributed to the fact that the festival has expanded to accommodate a wider age range.
“It’s the biggest crowd I can remember,” he said. “They’ve added stuff for kids, and they still have great bands.”
After a climactic end to the performance and Feliz’s departure, the crowd’s attention turned to the lake as the last attraction of the night, a 15-minute fireworks display, began. A dazzling rainbow of pyrotechnics reflected off the crystal clear water of Skyview, lending credence to the lake’s name as the night drew to a close.
